Many techniques for estimating an optimal read threshold for solid state storage do so by finding a minimum from multiple (test) reads. Such techniques assume that the minimum is close to the optimal read threshold and therefore the minimum is a good approximation of the optimal read threshold. There are at least two issues associated with such techniques. First, the assumption that the optimal read threshold is close to the minimum falls apart if one or more of the underlying conditional distribution functions is not symmetric (e.g., the conditional distribution for cells that are actually storing a 1 or a 0 is not symmetric about some vertical line). In real-world solid state storage systems this can occur, especially as the storage get older and the electrical insulation starts to break down with repeated programs and erases. Second, in some cases there is no minimum that is a plausible optimal read threshold (e.g., the only minima are located at the lowest and highest voltage being tested, which is not a plausible location for the optimal read threshold). New optimal read threshold estimation techniques which overcome these problems would be desirable.